by Susan Orlean
First published 1990
It's Saturday night in the sleepy town of Littleton, and the Carlson family is gathering for their weekly dinner. But when a sudden blackout plunges the neighborhood into darkness, long-buried secrets and tensions rise to the surface. As the Carlsons struggle to make sense of the outage, they're forced to confront the truths they've been hiding from each other - and themselves. In the flickering candlelight, relationships unravel and loyalties are tested, culminating in a night that will change the family forever.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-dynamics, secrets
Setting: United States
Period: 1971-
288 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster